BDM Werk Glaube und Schönheit
Encyclopedia
The BDM-Werk Glaube und Schönheit, the BDM Faith and Beauty Society, was founded in 1938 to serve as a tie-in between the work in the League of German Girls
(BDM) and that of the Nazi Frauenschaft
. Membership was voluntary and open to girls 17 to 21.
Girls and the Nazi Frauenschaft. The idea was that girls should be part in the work for the whole Volksgemeinschaft
before they went on to either jobs or—ideally—to marry and have children.
Membership was voluntary and open to girls 17 to 21. The work in the Society was mainly geared toward priming the girls for their tasks as wives and mothers, and while courses offered were very interesting for many girls and ranged from fashion design
to healthy living, the overall idea was to teach them home economics so they would properly run their households, cook well for their families, and care properly for their children.
According to Dr. Jutta Rüdiger, who had taken over as the leader of the League of German Girls in 1937:
League of German Girls
The League of German Girls or League of German Maidens , was the girl's wing of the overall Nazi party youth movement, the Hitler Youth. It was the only female youth organization in Nazi Germany....
(BDM) and that of the Nazi Frauenschaft
Frauenschaft
The NS-Frauenschaft was the women's wing of the Nazi party. It was founded in October 1931 as a fusion of several nationalist and national-socialist women's associations....
. Membership was voluntary and open to girls 17 to 21.
About
The Faith and Beauty Society was founded in 1938 to serve as a tie-in between the League of GermanGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
Girls and the Nazi Frauenschaft. The idea was that girls should be part in the work for the whole Volksgemeinschaft
Volksgemeinschaft
Volksgemeinschaft is a German expression meaning "people's community". Originally appearing during World War I as Germans rallied behind the war, it derived its popularity as a means to break down elitism and class divides...
before they went on to either jobs or—ideally—to marry and have children.
Membership was voluntary and open to girls 17 to 21. The work in the Society was mainly geared toward priming the girls for their tasks as wives and mothers, and while courses offered were very interesting for many girls and ranged from fashion design
Fashion design
Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....
to healthy living, the overall idea was to teach them home economics so they would properly run their households, cook well for their families, and care properly for their children.
According to Dr. Jutta Rüdiger, who had taken over as the leader of the League of German Girls in 1937:
The task of our Girls League is to raise our girls as torch bearers of the national-socialist world. We need girls who are at harmony between their bodies, souls, and spirits. And we need girls who, through healthy bodies and balanced minds, embody the beauty of divine creation. We want to raise girls who believe in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and our leader, and who will pass these beliefs on to their future children.
Sources
- "Das BDM Werk Glaube und Schoenheit" DVD, Zeitreisen Verlag
- "Ein Leben fuer die Jugend" by Dr. Jutta Ruediger
- BDM Historical Research Site